Thanksgiving on the coast (Jacksonville, Morehead City: renting, houses, best school)

[Markey]

Hi,
A group of my friends and I am thinking about renting a house for Thanksgiving. Can anyone suggest a place which allows dogs on their beaches, has fun/lively restaurants and bars and a low-key atmosphere? I'd like to relax but we don't want the entire town to be shut down for the season or anything. Thank you!

[dsobotta]

Originally Posted by Markey

Hi,
A group of my friends and I am thinking about renting a house for Thanksgiving. Can anyone suggest a place which allows dogs on their beaches, has fun/lively restaurants and bars and a low-key atmosphere? I'd like to relax but we don't want the entire town to be shut down for the season or anything. Thank you!

I'm not a bar expert by any means, but the area around Emerald Isle probably has at least five or six bars and a couple of clubs.

The area definitely doesn't close down, it is a low key atmosphere, and you can have dogs on the beach on leash, though there are some pretty deserted areas where people let them run and have fun in the water.

All the restaurants in the area are open, though a couple have cut their hours. There is probably additional activity in Morehead and Jacksonville but I know even less about their bars.

Locally there is the Emerald Club, and here is a Google list (http://tinyurl.com/249jsj - broken link) of some others. There might be one or two out of date entries.

There are more like the Dive, T&Ws Oyster Bar, and the Ice House in Swansboro.

You can check out my Emerald Isle Travel Guide for more info.

-David Sobotta

[NCaprio83]

Do people live on Emerald Isle all year round?

[Bill Hitchcock]

"Do people live on Emerald Isle all year round?"
You betcha-All of Bogue Banks has a year round population. Heck cross the bridge over to Cape Carteret and we've got a Lowes Home Improvement and a Lowes Food Store!!
Morehead City even has a Wally World!! We're big time!!
Sorry-Couldn't resist. Carteret County has a year round population of around 75,000 people. But we all get kinda lost because the county is over 1000 square miles with half of it being water and with 82 miles of ocean front beaches!!
And if you're going to be here on Thanksgiving-Be sure to have some oysters! In fact-a local tradition is an oyster stuffing!!
If you are a fisherman-Speckled trout and King Mackerel fishing is amazing then. Thanksgiving is also when the first sign of giant bluefin tuna's. These fish average in the 3-500 pound class and will litterally be found just a pier length off the beach.
Bill

[EmeraldIsleMom]

We moved to Emerald Isle 4 years ago from Northern Nj (right outside of Manhattan). And we LOVE it. We have three kids, have the best school district in the state, live near the beach....heck its paradise.

There are actually many houses rented T'giving weekend to families wanting to get away. Rates are cheap and the weather is usually in the mid 70s.

[NCaprio83]

Originally Posted by EmeraldIsleMom

We moved to Emerald Isle 4 years ago from Northern Nj (right outside of Manhattan). And we LOVE it. We have three kids, have the best school district in the state, live near the beach....heck its paradise.

There are actually many houses rented T'giving weekend to families wanting to get away. Rates are cheap and the weather is usually in the mid 70s.

That's great! How is the nightlife for 20 somethings?

[XNYgirl]

Originally Posted by NCaprio83

Do people live on Emerald Isle all year round?

Yes, it's not just a partying beach town.